Loupežník

Čapek's youthful play "Loupežník" is a natural story about youth that contradicts the previous generation and as such is still relevant today. It is surprising how far Kodíček has taken the tone elsewhere. He just stuck to the outlines and added details that the play didn't need but seemed necessary at the time. There are a lot of aerial scenes and a lot of extras at the expense of the storyline with Mimi's sister, which is perhaps more important than the young romance. It could have been an interesting acting duel, Mimi played by Marta Trojanová, and Lola by Mary Grossová, but she only lent her photo to the film. However, where the theater has personified love in the form of little children in funny costumes, the film appropriately inserts songs. But beyond that, the whole is solely dependent on the photogenic nature of Trojanová, which is unfortunately not enough. Mimi's mother, played by Marta Májová, is too old, Pištěk as her father is more successful, Gleich could have been good under better direction, and we can argue about Hübnerová, but theater studies have already solved that for us. To sum up, I highly recommend a broader look at Loupežník, as solitary knowledge would be incomplete. In this way, it seems to me to be a very interesting excursion into the groundbreaking period of Czech cinema and an immortal stop of Czech theater. (11.01.2017)